Clutch control mechanism



Dec. 31, 1940.

H. w. PRICE EAL CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. D M l i/GE [474 R PRICE VATTO IVEY.

Dec. 31, 1940. H. w. PRICE m-AL CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i: ADTTORN Y.

INVENTOR. M P/P/CE.

Q 7 mm 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. W. PRICE ErAL.

CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1937 Dec. 31, 1940.

INVENTOR. MFR/GE PIP/(E A TORNEY.

' Patented Dec. 31, 1940* UNITED STATES PA.

ENT. FFiiCE CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Harold W. Price and Earl R. Price, South Bend, Ind., assignors to Bendix ProductsOorporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Original application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,296. Divided and this application October 8, 1938, SeriaiNo. 233,923

3 Claims.

ment to thereby eiiect a slipping clutch and a smooth engagement.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an accelerator controlledclut'ch operating power means, means for temporarily limiting the clutch plate loading to a predetermined maximum in the event the accelerator is opened too quickly. Thus, should the driver inadvertently or by design open the accelerator too widely, the aforementioned means will, nevertheless, obviate a too rapid or grabbing clutch engagement.

' Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with an accelerator controlled clutch operating mechanism, electro-magnetic means for rendering the mechanism operative only when either the speed of the vehicle or the engine is at or below a predetermined factor or the change-speed transmission is in any setting except high gear.

The most important object of the invention;

however, is to provide, either in conjunction with or without such mechanism, accelerator controlled means for rendering the clutch control mechanism operative only when the accelerator is released to or beyond a certain point in its throw.

Other objects of the invention and desirable details of construction and combinations of parts will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which description is taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view disclosing the clutch operating motor of our invention, together with certain of the control means therefor;

Figure '2 Ba schematic view disclosing all of the principal elements of our invention; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the clutch operating motor employed in the mechanisms disclosed inFigureslandl As disclosed in Figure 1, a clutch of conventional design, notshown, is adapted'to be operated by a clutch pedal lever -I ll loosely sleeved over a clutch throw-out shaft 1 2 and operatively connected thereto by means of alost motion connection including an arm 13 fixedly secured to the shaft 12,

an adjustable set screw I 3', contactible bythe (c1. 192-.01) This invention relates in general to clutches.

pedal lever to, being mounted in the end of the arm. A spring i5 serves to return the pedal lever 10 toits oii position.

The invention is particularly directed to power means for operating the clutch to thereby dispense 5 with a manual operation thereof. To this end there is provided a pressure difierential operated motor I4 of the vacuum-suspended type, said motor comprising, as disclosed in'Figure 3, a doubleended cylinder I5, preferably fixed to the chassis, 10

' said cylinder housing a reciprocable piston l8. A hollow connecting rod 20 fixedly secured to the piston I8 and provided with. a valve opening 22 is operably connected to the aforementioned clutch operating shaft l2 by a'crank 24. Completin 15' I 38, a link 40, a bell crank lever'42, and a valve oper- 20 ating lever 44. The bell crank lever -42 is curved or cammed at one of its ends 46 for a purpose to be described hereinafter, and 'is pivotally mounted to the lever 44 at 48. A pin 50 serves to pivotally interconnect the lever 44 and the crank 24. 25

Describing now the operation of the aforementioned mechanism, upon releasing the accelerator acted upon by a spring 52, the pressure differential acting upon the valve member 28 serves,

through the intermediary of the above-described 30 linkage interconnecting the accelerator and valve to move said member 28 to the left beyond the opening 22, thereby venting a compartment 54 of the motor l4 to the atmosphere via the opening 22 in the hollow rod 20, the latter,'as disclosed, 35

being open to the atmosphere. The remaining compartment 56 of the motor is permanently connected to the intake manifold of the internalcombustion enginevia a conduit 58. The motor I4 is thus energized, the diflerential of pressures 40.

acting upon the piston 18 serving to move the same to the dotted line position disclosed in Figure 3 to disengage the clutch.

Upon depressing the accelerator, the lever 42 is moveduntil the cam portion-4B thereof con- 45 I tacts a stop 60, the lever members 42 and 44-, by virtue of a spring 62, moving as a unit relative to the crank against the action of a spring 64.

The valve 28 is thus moved to cut ed the connection betweenthe atmosphere and the compart- 50 ment 54 and to interconnect said compartment with the partially evacuated compartment 56. The clutch spring then acts to reengage the clutch.

the piston l8 moving to lap the valve mechanism and hold the clutch engaged at a point where-the cam 46 and stop 60' being adjusted to effect this result. The accelerator is then further depressed,

whereby the relatively movable pivotally connected members "and 44,,aided by the stop I, act to again crack the valve a relatively small amount. By virtue of-a lost motion connection ii, interconnecting the shaft 32 with a throttle operating link 68, the opening of the throttle is preferably, though not necessarily initiated when the accelerator is further depressed, as just described. The relative timing of operation of the throttle and valve may be varied by adjustment of the connections: furthermore, the position of the cam 28 and the relatively movable link members 42 and 44 provide a leverage-changing connection between the accelerator and valve. The subsequent followup to-lap action of the valve mechanism insures a relatively small increment of eng movement of the clutch, and the concurrent throttle opening movements of the accelerator serve to progressively engage the clutch step by step to thus effect a slipping clutch and a maneuvering control of the vehicle.

Describing now one of the complete embodl ments of our invention, there is disclosed in Figure 2 a vacuum-suspended motor II, very similar in structure and identical in function with the motor disclosed in- Figure 1, which is operatively connected to the clutch bymeans of a crank 12, link 14, a lever member 16'and connecting rod 18. A clutch pedal ll loosely sleeved over a shaft 13' contacts the crank 12 at 15, thus providing a lost motion connection which permits a manual failure of the power fmeans. Describing the operation of this mechanism, and incidentally completing the description of its various elements,-

an intake manifold, via a conduit 96 and a three-way valve 98, Figure 3, to energize the same and effect a disengagement of the clutch. Depression of the accelerator serves to operate the follow-up valve mechanism to effect a two-stage engagementof the clutch, the mechanism of Figure 2 functioning in a manner identical to that of Figure 1. A stop- Ill functions as does the stop of Figure 1. Should the driver. either inadvertently or bydesign, tramp upon the accelerator, the cam-faced bell crank ll contacts a stop I02. Thus the lever 84 is limited in its rate of movement, and the clutch may not he so engaged too quickly, a grabbing clutch being thus avoided. n i An important feature of our invention is disclosed in Figure 2 and comprises meansfor rendering the clutch control mechanism operative- =only when the transmission is in any gear ratio except high gear or when the transmission is in high'gear and the to a predetermined factor: furthermore, the accelerator must be released to or beyond a certain point in its throw. To this end there is provided a solenoid I04, Figure 3, for operating the three- .way valve 98, the solenoid being energised to interconnect the manifold 94 with the motor II disengagement'of the clutch in the-event of the 'tial operated motor,

cylinder and a piston,

of the vehicle is decreased via conduit 86 andvalve 98, whenan ignition switch I" and an accelerator operated switch 114 in either low or second gear, e. g., during traflic.

shifts, the solenoid is energized to open the valve OI; or when the transmission is left in high gear after a deceleration of the vehicle, the switch I III is automatically closed, by means of a speedometer shaft operated governor H2, when the speed of the vehicle is decreased to a point that would cause a choking of the engine if the clutch were not disengaged. When the solenoid I04 is deenergized, the valve 98 is automatically closed, to vent the motor 14 to" atmosphere, by means of a spring I05. The accelerator switch I I4 is provided to insure a full engagement of the clutch when the accelerator is depressed during a driving operation of the engine. If the follow-up valve mechanism should fail, the switch 4, acting as a safety valve, insures a closing of the valve 98 and a. consequent full engagement of the clutch.

The invention heretofore described is disclosed in our Patent No. 2,152,089, dated March 28, 1939,

this application constituting a divisionthereof.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated'by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle provided with a,

clutch and an accelerator, "power means for operating the clutch comprising a pressure differenmeans interconnecting said motor, clutch and accelerator including a followup valve mechanism for controlling the operation of said motor, and means, including a power oper-.

ated accelerator and transmission controlled cutout valve, operable only when the accelerator is released, a predetermined amount and the transmission is in any gear except high gear to'render the powermeans operative to effect a disen a e:

- ment of the clutch.

2. In an automotive vehicle providedwith an internal-combustion engin, a transmission; a clutch and an accelerator, power means for oper- I sting the clutch including a pressure differential operated motor and a therefor, and valve controlling means including control valve mechanism.

a switch operative, when the accelerator is released a predetermined amount and either the transmission is in any gear except high gear or the vehicle speed is reduced to or below a predetermined factor, to so operate 'the valve as to permit a power operation oftheclutch.

3. Inan automotive vehicle providedz with a clutch and an accelerator, power means; for operating the clutch comprising a vacuum-suspended pressure differential operated motor including a operations thereof, and other valve means oper-- ative when the accelerator has been opened a predetermined amount to suspend the motor .pis-

ton in air to thereby insure a clutch engaging operation of the motor.

HAROLD W. PRICE.

EARL R. PRICE,

the piston oflsaid motor 

